Responding to the British Medical Association (BMA) announcement that junior doctors in England will strike on 13, 14 and 15 March, Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers said:

"Trust leaders are deeply concerned by the details of the BMA junior doctors' 72-hour strike next month. The possibility of a full stoppage of work by striking junior doctors in this period, including nights and on-call shifts, will have significant ramifications for patient care.

"The effects will be compounded by the escalation of the HCSA junior doctors' strike, which will now overlap with the BMA's entirely for three days straight. This ramped up action will also be hot on the heels of walkouts by ambulance workers.

"This unprecedented scale of industrial action in the NHS threatens to cause serious disruption to patients, which is the last thing anyone wants. It will also likely hamper the hard efforts of NHS staff to tackle backlogs and meet elective targets.

"We understand junior doctors feel they've been pushed to this point by factors including below-inflation pay uplifts and the vast workforce shortages. As ever, trust leaders will be working flat out to ensure disruption is minimised on strike dates, but they desperately need action on a national level to bring this to an end.

"We're encouraged by the government opening talks with the Royal College of Nursing on pay, but it's clear these negotiations need to take place immediately and with all other striking unions."